FOREIGN  MISSION 
STORY  LESSONS 


THE  CROSS 


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Kindergarten  and  Primary 
Departments  in  Baptist 
Sunday  Schools 


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BY  MRS.  HENRY  W.  PEABODY 


All  about  Makumba  and  her  brothers  who  live  in  the  African  forest. 
How  the  little  white  girl  came.  How  the  brave  boys  who  shoot 
lions  got  their  school.  The  new  song  on  the  Congo 
River,  the  new  church  and  the  new  home. 

How  Mary  came  back. 


AMERICAN  BAPTIST  FOREIGN  MISSION  SOCIETY 
Ford  Building,  Boston,  Mass. 

WOMAN’S  AMERICAN  BAPTIST  FOREIGN  MISSION  SOCIETY 
Ford  Building,  Boston,  Mass.  450  E.  30th  St.,  Chicago,  Ill. 


THE  CROSS  IN  CONGO  LAND 

~  ■  ■=  1917-1918  = 

SUNDAY  SCHOOL  STUDIES  PREPARED  JOINTLY  by  the 
AMERICAN  BAPTIST  FOREIGN  MISSION  SOCIETY  and  the 
WOMAN’S  AMERICAN  BAPTIST  FOREIGN  MISSION  SOCIETY 

For  Charts,  Lessons  for  Other  Grades,  Easter  Concert 
Programs,  Collection  Envelopes,  and  other  sup¬ 
plies,  apply  to  any  of  the  following: 

Department  of  Missionary  Education,' 

23  East  26th  Street,  New  York  City 

Literature  Department,  A.  B.  F.  M.  S., 

Box  41,  Boston,  Mass. 

Publication  Department,  W.  A.  B.  F.  M.  S., 

450  East  30th  Street,  Chicago,  Ill. 

Rev.  A.  W.  Rider,  D.D., 

313  West  3d  Street,  Los  Angeles,  Cal. 

Rev.  A.  M.  Petty,  D.D., 

403  Tilford  Building,  Portland,  Oregon 


One  complete  set  of  supplies  furnished  free  to  every 

Sunday  School 


STORY  LESSONS  FOR  LITTLE  PEOPLE 


These  story  lessons  are  for  the  Kindergarten  and 
Primary  grades  in  our  Sunday  Schools.  Since  the 
time  allowed  for  the  lesson  each  Sunday  is  so  brief, 
only  five  minutes,  we  suggest  that  the  teacher 
simply  read  the  story  for  the  day  and  ask  the  ques¬ 
tions.  It  is  better,  of  course,  to  tell  the  story  with  an¬ 
imation.  Reference  should  be  made  to  the  pictures. 
It  is  hoped  that  the  children  will  be  interested  enough 
to  buy  the  booklet  in  some  cases  and  so  become  bet¬ 
ter  acquainted  with  the  stories  at  home,  or  they 
might  make  an  attractive  Easter  gift.  They  may  be 
obtained  at  either  of  our  Foreign  Mission  headquar¬ 
ters,  at  five  cents  a  copy,  thirty-five  cents  per  dozen. 

We  hope  that  impressions  may  be  made  on  the 
children  during  this  foreign  mission  period  of  our 
Baptist  churches,  and  that  they  may  learn  to  pray 
for  Congo  children.  The  large  colored  charts  issued 
by  the  societies  are  most  interesting  and  an  extra  set 
should  be  displayed  in  the  Primary  class  if  possible. 
A  set  is  given  free  to  each  Sunday  School  and  addi¬ 
tional  sets  may  be  provided  at  twenty  cents  for  three 
charts  in  a  set,  post  paid.  The  offerings  are  for  the 
Missionary  Work  in  Congo  Land.  Treasurers:  Ernest 
S.  Butler  and  Alice  E.  Stedman,  Ford  Building, 
Boston,  Mass. 


NATIVE  HOMES  IN  IKENGI,  AFRICA 


CHAPTER  I. 
Little  Girls  for  Sale. 


Little  Makumba  sat  on  the  ground  eating  peanuts.  She 
was  hungry.  The  peanuts  were  good.  She  had  sweet  pota¬ 
toes  for  dinner  and  peanuts  for  supper.  That  was  all.  She 
was  such  a  pretty  little  black  girl,  with  a  shining  skin,  well 
oiled.  Her  teeth  were  white  and  her  hair  curled.  She  had 
no  pretty  dress,  just  a  brass  ring  around  her  neck  and  her 
waist.  Her  mother  worked  in  the  garden.  Her  father  was 
the  big  chief.  He  wanted  to  sell  his  own  little  daughter. 
She  loved  her  mother.  She  was  afraid  of  her  father.  He 
had  gone  out  to  hunt  elephants  so  she  was  happy  eating  her 
peanuts  and  singing  a  little  song, 

“I  have  no  jiggers, 

I  have  no  jiggers.” 

Jiggers  are  little  insects  that  bite  your  feet  terribly.  This 
was  the  only  song  Makumba  knew.  She  ate  up  all  the  pea¬ 
nuts,  then  her  mother  came  back  from  the  garden  and 
Makumba  crawled  into  the  little  house  where  her  mother 
lived.  Her  father  lived  in  the  big  chiefs  house.  Her  broth¬ 
ers  were  in  another  house  for  boys.  They  had  no  school,  no 
Sunday  school,  no  church,  no  Bible.  No  one  had  told  them 
how  to  be  good.  She  did  not  not  know  about  our  dear  Father 
in  Heaven  who  takes  care  of  us.  Was  there  nobody  in  the 
world  to  go  and  tell  little  Makumba  that  Jesus  loves  her? 

QUESTIONS  ON  LESSON  ONE 

1 —  Who  was  Makumba? 

2 —  What  was  she  eating? 

3 —  Where  was  her  father? 

4 —  Where  did  he  live? 

5 —  Why  did  they  have  no  Sunday  School? 


5 


MAKUMBA’S  BROTHER,  MBOKO 


CHAPTER  II. 


Makumba’s  Brothers. 

There  was  the  big  brother,  Bitum,  who  would  be  chief 
some  day.  There  was  the  little  brother,  Mboko,  who  lived 
with  his  mother  until  the  year  before.  Then  he  was  nine 
and  went  to  the  boys’  house.  Makumba  was  sorry.  She 
liked  to  play  with  him.  Now  he  was  older  he  would  not 
play  with  girls.  He  liked  to  be  with  the  big  boys.  He 
learned  to  fish  and  soon  would  go  to  shoot  deer  and 
elephants.  Makumba  would  work  in  the  gardens  with  the 
women.  Then  her  father  would  sell  her.  She  woke  up  in 
the  night.  The  moon  shone  in  the  door  of  the  little  house. 
She  heard  the  men  singing  and  beating  the  drum.  A  girl 
was  sold,  so  they  had  a  feast  and  dance.  Some  day  she 
would  have  to  leave  her  mother.  Makumba  cried  very 
softly  so  she  would  not  wake  her  mother,  but  her  mother 
heard.  She  put  her  kind,  loving,  black  arms  about  her 
little  girl  and  Makumba  went  to  sleep.  But  her  mother 
did  not  sleep.  Her  heart  was  sad.  She  wanted  to  keep  her 
little  girl  with  her.  But  in  that  country  they  think  it  is 
right  to  sell  their  daughters  for  a  few  yards  of  cloth  or  a 
string  of  beads  or  a  goat.  Would  your  father  sell  you? 
Ask  him.  Are  you  glad  you  have  a  school  and  books  and  a 
home  and  Sunday  school?  It  would  be  nice  to  share  these 
things  with  little  Makumba  and  her  brothers. 

QUESTIONS  ON  LESSON  TWO 

1 —  How  many  brothers  had  Makumba? 

2 —  What  did  the  boys  do? 

3 —  Why  did  Makumba  cry? 

4 —  What  do  they  pay  for  little  girls  in  Africa? 

5 —  Would  your  father  sell  you? 


TRAVELING  IN  A  HAMMOCK  IN  AFRICA 


CHAPTER  III. 


The  White  Man. 

One  morning  Makumba’s  brothers  came  running  into 
the  hut  and  called  her  mother.  She  was  cooking  dinner 
some  corn  and  sweet  potatoes.  The  little  boy,  Mboko,  was 
frightened.  I  think  the  big  brother  was  afraid,  too,  but  he 
tried  to  be  brave.  He  was  a  brave  boy.  One  day  he  saw  a 
lion  in  the  path  in  the  forest.  The  lion  roared,  but  Bitum 
did  not  run  away.  He  took  his  gun  and  shot  the  lion  dead, 
but  he  was  afraid  this  morning  of  the  white  man.  Once 
some  white  men  came  to  a  village  near  and  carried  off  all 
the  boys  and  girls  and  sold  them  for  slaves.  They  were  bad 
men,  and  all  the  people  were  afraid  of  white  people.  Bitum 
and  Mboko  said  to  their  mother,  “The  white  people  are 
coming ;  they  will  steal  us.”  Their  mother  said,  “Run  and 
hide  and  if  the  white  men  come  I  will  see  them.  They  will 
not  take  a  weak  woman  like  me.  Besides,  your  father  will 
soon  come  and  he  will  shoot  them.”  So  the  children  ran 
out  and  hid  in  the  long  grass.  Then  they  heard  the  big 
drum,  beating,  beating.  The  white  men  came  into  the  town 
and  went  to  the  chiefs  house.  But  these  were  kind,  nice 
white  men  and  there  was  a  lovely  white  lady  and  a  little 
white  girl  with  them.  Makumba’s  mother  peeped  out  of 
the  door  and  when  she  saw  the  white  lady  she  said,  “Why, 
she  loves  her  baby  as  I  love  mine.  She  is  good.  I  am  not 
afraid  of  her,”  so  she  went  out  and  the  lady  smiled  at  her 
and  spoke  to  her.  She  spoke  the  Congo  language  and  soon 
Makumba’s  mother  was  talking  with  her. 

QUESTIONS  ON  LESSON  THREE 

1 —  What  did  Makumba’s  Mother  cook  for  dinner? 

2 —  Why  were  the  boys  afraid  of  white  men? 

3 —  Where  did  the  children  hide? 

4 —  Who  came  with  the  good  white  man? 

5 —  Why  was  not  Makumba’s  Mother  afraid? 


9 


THE  LITTLE  WHITE  GIRL  AND  HER  MOTHER 


CHAPTER  IV. 

The  White  Lady. 

After  a  little  Makumba’s  mother  ran  in  the  house  and 
got  some  bananas  and  gave  them  to  the  lady,  who  walked 
over  and  sat  down  in  the  doorway.  Some  other  women 
came,  too,  and  looked  at  the  white  lady.  They  laughed  at 
her  queer  dress  and  shoes  and  hat.  They  loved  the  little 
white  girl.  She  wore  a  pretty  white  dress  and  was  so 
clean.  Makumba,  hidden  in  the  tall  grass,  heard  the  white 
man  talk  to  her  father  and  then  her  father  asked  him  to 
come  to  his  house.  He  went.  Makumba’s  father  came  out 
soon  and  called  her  brothers.  The  boys  went  to  the  chief’s 
house,  but  Makumba  crept  round  by  the  door  near  her 
mother  and  watched  the  lady  and  the  little  girl.  Pretty 
soon  the  little  girl,  whose  name  was  Mary,  saw  Makumba. 
She  said,  “Oh,  Mamma,  there  is  a  little  girl.”  She  went 
over  to  Makumba  and  put  out  her  hand.  Makumba  was 
afraid,  but  the  little  girl  was  so  sweet  and  when  she  saw 
Makumba’s  fear  she  asked  her  mother  for  a  picture  book. 
Makumba  had  never  seen  a  book  or  a  picture.  She  forgot 
to  be  afraid  and  the  two  little  girls  sat  on  the  mat  together 
and  looked  at  the  pictures.  Pretty  soon  Mary’s  father 
came  and  said,  “The  chief  has  asked  us  to  stay.  We  will 
put  up  our  tent  and  spend  a  few  days  here.”  Makumba 
saw  them  talking.  She  hoped  they  would  not  go.  Mary’s 
mother  called  her,  but  they  did  not  go  out  of  the  village. 
They  went  over  to  the  tents  to  make  their  beds  and  get 
their  supper.  Mary  loved  to  live  in  a  tent,  but  she  got  so 
tired  riding  in  a  hammock.  She  liked  to  get  down  and  walk 
and  play. 

QUESTIONS  ON  LESSON  FOUR 

1 —  What  did  Makumba’s  Mother  give  the  white  lady? 

2 —  What  was  the  little  white  girl’s  name? 

3 —  What  did  Mary  show  Makumba? 

A — What  did  Mary  ride  in? 

5 — Where  did  she  live? 


11 


A  MISSIONARY  ON  A  TOUR,  AFRICA 


CHAPTER  V. 

The  Camp  in  the  Forest. 

The  black  men  came  singing  through  the  long  grass, 
carrying  the  tents.  Some  men  had  boxes  on  their  heads. 
There  were  things  to  eat  in  the  boxes,  bread  and  tea  and 
canned  milk  and  fruit.  Makumba’s  mother  watched  them 
put  up  the  tent  and  open  the  boxes.  The  men  built  a  fire 
and  Makumba’s  father  brought  them  some  sweet  potatoes 
and  eggs.  Mary  was  so  hungry,  but  she  waited  while 
supper  was  cooked  over  the  fire.  Then  they  sat  on  the  mats 
they  had  brought  and  ate  their  supper.  All  the  people 
watched  them.  Makumba  had  some  peanuts.  She  was 
saving  them  to  eat  for  her  supper.  She  liked  peanuts.  She 
wondered  if  Mary  liked  them.  She  wanted  to  give  her 
nuts  to  Mary.  She  liked  her,  but  she  was  afraid.  After 
Mary  had  her  supper  she  said  to  her  mother,  “I  will  go 
and  say  good  night  to  Makumba.”  Her  mother  said,  “Yes, 
and  then  Father  will  have  prayers.”  Mary  went  over  to 
the  little  house  to  say  good  night.  Makumba  was  alone 
on  the  doorstep.  She  had  something  in  her  hand.  Mary 
said,  “Good  night,  Makumba,”  and  the  little  black  girl  put 
out  her  hand  and  gave  the  package  to  Mary.  It  was  the 
package  of  peanuts.  She  gave  them  to  Mary  because  she 
loved  her.  Then  Mary’s  father  had  prayers  and  they 
sang.  Makumba  listened.  She  did  not  understand 
prayers,  but  she  loved  the  singing.  It  was  in  her  own 
language,  “Jesus,  loves  me,  this  I  know.”  Makumba  sang 
the  chorus,  too,  and  by  and  by  when  she  curled  up  on  the 
floor  by  her  dear  black  mother  she  sang  softly,  “Yes,  Jesus 
loves  me,”  just  as  Mary  did. 

QUESTIONS  ON  LESSON  FIVE 

1 —  Who  carried  the  tents? 

2 —  What  did  they  have  in  the  boxes? 

3 —  What  did  Makumba  give  Mary? 

4 —  Why  did  she  want  to  give  Mary  something? 

5 —  What  did  Mary  sing? 


13 


SAWING  LUMBER  BY  HAND 


CARRYING  POLES 

For  the  New  Church  Building  at  Melet — Too  Economical  to  buy  a  Wagon 


CHAPTER  VI. 

The  New  Song. 

In  the  morning  the  drum  was  beaten,  all  the  men  and 
women  came  to  the  chief’s  house.  The  boys  and  girls  came, 
too,  but  they  stood  outside.  The  white  man  spoke  in  the 
Congo  language.  He  said,  “Would  you  like  a  school  for 
your  boys  and  girls  ?  In  the  Ikoko  town  we  have  a  school. 
The  children  learn  to  read.  They  learn  also  to  work.  They 
are  not  wild  and  wicked.  You,  too,  may  have  a  school  for 
your  children.  They  will  learn  and  you  will  have  a  better 
town.”  The  chief  said,  “The  boys  may  go  to  school,  but 
why  should  a  woman  read?  Women  and  girls  are  like 
monkeys.  Do  you  teach  monkeys?”  The  white  lady  spoke 
then.  She  said,  “No,  women  are  not  like  monkeys.  They 
can  learn.  If  your  women  are  wise  and  good  you  will  have 
good  homes.  Women  must  teach  children,  so  women 
should  be  wise.”  The  chief  said,  “Can  you  read?”  The 
white  lady  said,  “Not  only  I,  but  my  little  girl,  can  read  in 
the  Congo  and  the  English.”  The  chief  said,  “We  will  hear 
her.  If  she  can  read,  then  our  girls  can  go  to  school.”  So 
Mary  came  to  her  mother  and  took  the  book.  It  was  a 
Congo  New  Testament.  She  read  her  favorite  story  about 
Jesus  and  the  shepherds  and  the  star.  All  the  black  people 
listened  and  the  forest  was  still.  Then  Mary’s  mother 
said,  “You  may  sing,  Mary,”  so  Mary  sang  her  favorite 

son£*  “Jesus  when  He  left  the  sky 

And  for  sinners  came  to  die, 

In  His  mercy  passed  not  by 
Little  ones  like  me.” 

Makumba  crept  out  from  the  crowd.  Mary  called  her. 
She  forgot  all  the  people  and  the  big  chief,  her  father. 
Then  Mary  sang  the  song  she  sang  the  night  before  and 
little  Makumba  sang  with  her, — 

“Jesus  loves  me,  this  I  know.” 

Makumba  had  learned  a  new  song.  All  the  people  were 
surprised  and  the  chief  was  proud  and  said,  “This  is  my 
girl.  She  can  learn.  We  will  have  a  school.” 

QUESTIONS  ON  LESSON  SIX 

1 —  What  did  the  white  man  ask  the  chief? 

2 —  What  did  the  chief  say  about  girls? 

3 —  What  did  Mary  read? 

A — What  was  Mary’s  favorite  song? 

5 — When  Makumba  sang  what  did  the  chief  say? 


15 


CHAPTER  VII. 

How  They  Built  the  School. 

The  men  went  into  the  forest.  They  cut  big  trees. 
The  boys  helped.  They  brought  the  logs  to  the  town.  All 
worked  hard.  The  women  cooked  a  great  feast.  The  chief 
said,  “I  will  give  the  men  some  beer.”  The  white  man  said, 
“No,  if  we  come  you  must  not  drink  beer  any  more.  It 
makes  men  foolish  and  bad.”  So  the  chief  promised  that 
he  would  not  let  his  town  have  beer.  The  boys  were  glad 
to  have  a  school.  A  tall,  fine  black  boy  was  to  be  teacher. 
He  was  strong  and  could  shoot  well.  He  could  read  and 
sing.  The  boys  liked  their  teacher.  When  the  school  was 
built  they  made  a  little  house  for  the  teacher  and  his  wife. 
She  was  a  girl  from  another  town.  She  wore  a  dress  and 
she  could  read  and  sing.  Makumba  loved  her.  She  thought, 
“I  cannot  be  a  white  girl  like  Mary.  I  am  a  forest  girl,  but 
I  can  learn  and  be  like  this  girl.”  So  Makumba  took  a  bath 
every  day.  She  combed  her  hair  and  she  asked  her  mother 
for  some  cloth  for  a  dress.  Her  mother  gave  her  some  red 
cloth  she  bought  from  a  trader.  The  teacher’s  wife  showed 
her  how  to  sew  and  she  came  to  school  in  a  clean  dress. 
She  tried  hard  to  learn  to  read.  She  could  sing  before  she 
could  read.  After  a  year  she  had  finished  the  first  reader 
and  Mary’s  mother  came  to  visit  the  town  again  and  gave 
her  a  Testament.  Mary  was  not  with  her  mother.  She 
had  gone  to  America  to  stay  with  her  grandmother  and  go 
to  an  American  school.  She  cried  when  she  had  to  leave 
her  mother  and  father  in  the  forest  and  go  away  on  the 
ship.  Her  mother  took  her  in  her  arms  and  told  her  how 
sorry  she  was  to  let  her  go.  Mary  said,  “You  come,  too.” 
Her  mother  said,  “If  father  and  I  go  away  the  little  black 
children  will  have  no  friend  to  tell  them  about  Jesus  and 
to  give  them  schools.  Shall  we  leave  Makumba?”  and 
Mary  said,  “No,  Mother  dear,  I  will  go  and  learn  fast  and 
then  when  I  grow  up  I  will  come  back  to  Africa  and  help 
you,”  and  mother  said,  “Yes,”  but  mother  was  so  sorry  to 
let  her  little  girl  go.  , 

QUESTIONS  ON  LESSON  SEVEN 

1 —  Who  built  the  school  house? 

2 —  What  did  the  white  man  tell  them  about  beer? 

3 —  Who  was  the  teacher? 

4 —  What  did  Makumba  think  when  she  saw  the  teacher’s  wife? 

5 —  Where  did  Mary  go? 


17 


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CHAPTER  VIII. 

The  Church  in  the  Forest. 

Ten  years  later  Mary  was  twenty  years  old  and  came 
back  to  Africa  with  her  father  and  mother.  The  people 
were  glad  to  see  “Missi  Mary.”  She  loved  to  teach  them. 
One  day  they  went  through  the  forest  again  to  Makumba’s 
town.  The  old  chief  was  dead  and  Bitum  was  chief.  He 
could  read  and  write.  He  was  a  Christian  now.  He  would 
not  sell  his  sister.  Christians  do  not  sell  girls.  Makumba 
had  a  nice,  little  house.  She  married  a  Christian  man  who 
was  the  preacher.  They  had  built  a  big  church.  A  thou¬ 
sand  Christians  come  to  that  church.  The  children  had 
Sunday  School.  Mary  staid  in  Makumba’s  house.  It  was 
clean  and  there  was  a  bed  for  Mary.  They  had  a  nice 
dinner,  fish  and  corn  and  sweet  potatoes.  Then  Makumba 
brought  a  basket  of  peanuts  and  gave  them  to  Mary.  She 
smiled  and  said,  “Do  you  remember  when  you  first  came  to 
our  town?”  Mary  said  “Yes,  you  gave  me  all  your  peanuts. 
You  were  a  kind  little  girl.  You  were  not  selfish.”  Makum¬ 
ba  said,  “I  will  never  forget  you,  the  little  white  girl 
in  the  white  dress.  I  thought  you  were  an  angel  and  I  was 
afraid,  but  when  I  saw  you  eat  the  peanuts  I  knew  you  were 
a  little  girl  like  me.  Then  you  sang  and  I  found  that  I 
could  sing,  too,  and  I  knew  I  was  not  a  monkey,  but  just 
a  little  girl  like  you.  Then  I  said,  T  will  learn,  I  will  know 
Jesus.’  Oh,  if  you  had  not  come,  Missi  Mary,  I  would  not 
have  known  Jesus.  I  could  not  have  gone  to  school.  I 
would  have  been  sold  to  a, bad  man  far  away.  I  thank 
God  every  day  that  He  sent  you  into  our  forest.” 

Then  Mary  was  glad  and  she  said,  “I  will  stay  and  go 
to  other  towns  and  tell  the  other  little  girls  and  some  day 
all  the  people  in  the  forest  will  find  the  way  to  Jesus.  The 
children  in  America  will  send  money  for  my  house  and 
food  and  for  books.”  And  Makumba  said,  “Then  I  will 
pray  every  day  God  bless  the  children  in  America.” 

QUESTIONS  ON  LESSON  EIGHT 

1 —  When  did  Mary  come  back  to  Africa? 

2 —  What  did  she  do? 

3 —  Where  was  Makumba? 

4 —  What  did  Makumba  say  to  Mary? 

5 —  What  will  you  do  for  Makumba? 


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S6-5M-10-15-191? 


VERMONT  PRINTING  COMPANV,  BRATTLEBCP^ 


